Dead Music Stars Rake in the Big Bucks

Dead music stars still have major drawing power. Michael Jackson's posthumous documentary and CD 'This Is It' is released this week, and if history is any guide, his estate stands to make a lot of money. Since his death in June, 9 million Jackson albums have been sold -- which means he's already beaten John Lennon and Elvis Presley in his fourth act.

Actors like Marilyn Monroe and Heath Ledger also earned a whopping amount of money after they died. In a dead celebrity shocker, Forbes just announced its list for 2009, with deceased fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent topping the dead celebs at $350 million. (They auctioned off his estate, which contained all his fancy stuff-art, furniture, and clothing.)

MJ debuted at number 3, and the year isn't even done.

Michaelangelo Matos, who's written for Rolling Stone and Spin, says of the post-death sales bump: "This goes back quite a ways in music. You can go all the way back to Hank Williams. He died on New Year's 1952-3, and his sales skyrocketed after his death."

Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield, who writes the Pop Life column, adds: "MJ hasn't had a new record that anyone cared about in years, and it's hard to imagine people would care about his new performances if he were still alive. When an artist dies suddenly, and fans have mass grief, they want to hear the music as part of the mourning process. But with MJ, it's almost like people reconnected with music they'd forgotten how much they loved."

We take a closer look at some artists who've gotten even bigger after they entered the big house in the sky. Top dead music stars are:

Michael Jackson

After Jackson died this year, everyone rushed to buy his old records. Interestingly, it was the compilation, Number Ones that tallied the most sales in the week following his death -- not 'Thriller.'

"Nostalgia is much of it," says Matos. "Some of it is also changing media: people who abandoned their cassettes or LPs or even CDs and didn't replace their copies of 'Off the Wall' and 'Thriller' will seize the opportunity to remember. But it's part of a public act of grieving, too."

MJ's already expected to move 300,000 copies through the end of the week.

"Until now, I think Elvis had the record for the biggest posthumous publicity bump, but death didn't make people buy Elvis records the way it makes people buy MJ records," says Sheffield. "I don't think there's been anything like this before. No pop star's death has had this kind of impact on the public's appetite to hear his music."

Elvis Presley
According to Forbes, in 2008, Presley was still the King. Last year he topped the magazine's list of Dead Celebrities, bringing in $52 million on the 30th anniversary of his death, a feat he's managed most of the years they've done their survey. (All the Elvis memorabilia, plus visits to Graceland, help boost Presley.) This year, he came in fourth on the list -- making a measly $55 million.

"His catalog is enormous and has never stopped selling," says Matos.

Presley's dominance might only be toppled in the future by a few megastars, he says. "If Madonna or Prince were to keel over tomorrow it might spur similar reactions -- they were as defining, generationally, as Michael was, and are only in their early 50s. "

Kurt Cobain

After he shot himself at age 27, Kurt Cobain's mom infamously said: "Now, he's gone and joined that stupid club." The Nirvana frontman belongs to another exclusive club: that of dead celebrities whose records hit number one. 'MTV: Unplugged in New York' and 'From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah' both debuted at the top. Since his death, Cobain's estate earned $50 million in 2006 alone, putting him above the King on the Forbes list that year of dead music stars.

John Lennon
The Beatle has had a great run in the afterlife. After being unceremoniously shot by Mark David Chapman, John Lennon's career experienced a resurgence. His comeback record, 'Double Fantasy,' which featured his wife Yoko Ono, was released a month before he was killed. Prior to his death, 'Fantasy' only reached number 11 on the charts; after his death, it was number one in the U.S. for 8 weeks straight. It went on to sell three million copies, paling in comparison to other posthumous releases. However, Lennon was a critical success: the record went on to win a Grammy for Album of the Year and Lennon was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.

Bob MarleyIf you were in college in the 80s or 90s (and even in the aughts), chances are if you bought a reggae CD, it was Bob Marley's 'Legend.' The record is a classic: it contained the eternal hits, 'No Woman, No Cry,' 'I Shot the Sheriff,' and 'One Love.' The collection -- released three years after his death from cancer in 1981 -- has sold over 25 million copies worldwide. His sales were so strong, that he placed ninth on Forbes Top Earners list of Dead Celebrities in 2004.

Notorious B.I.G.Biggie Smalls' double album, 'Life After Death,' sold 690,000 copies the week after he was killed. His two singles, 'Hypnotize' and 'Mo Money Mo Problems' also reached the top of the charts, a first for a non-living artist. The record went on to sell ten million copies and received the distinction of being certified diamond by the RIAA in 2000.

Tupac ShakurTupac Shakur released more records as a dead man than he did when he was alive. Two of his posthumous records went to number one -- they were made possible by the hundreds of tracks Tupac left in his wake. One of his albums, 'The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory' (under his other nom de dic, Makaveli), recorded in seven days and released just two months after he was shot, sold over 7 million in the U.S and 28 million worldwide In 2003, he pulled in a cool $12 mil.

You are dreaming if you think Elvis will ever beat Michael Jackson! Though both are Kings, Michael Jackson wrote most of his own music, unlike Elvis who sang other people's songs, and no one can beat Michael Jackson at dancing. No ONE. Michael Jackson is known as the best entertainer of all times. Young kids like my nieces are practicing dancing like MJ and love his music. Though I love Michael's former father in law Elvis, and he deserves his King of Rock title, Michael Jackson will forever be our King of Pop and there is no contest. Michael Jackson sold more records and millions more people saw Micahel in concert all over the world. Michael Jackson has been a star since he was a child. He lost his childhood to be a superstar, a magastar. I think he deserves the status!

Michael Jackson and his music will be remembered forever as the BEST music, singer, dancer, compositor and the TRUE KING of POP, at least his dead has served to STOP that people that always try to keep Michael in the dark, but this is no more, now, MJJ is again at the TOP FOREVER !!!

Brian I think you're incorrect when you say that Michael's earning power will wane off. I don't know if you were around at the time, but when Michael celebrated his 30th birthday Aug.29, 2008 and there was an audit done on his worth. The answer that came back was that he could not spend all of his in three (3) lifetimes. I know that with his legal fees and other problems many people think he was either broke or close to it. He owns a part of Sony and he owns a part of the Agency that did the booking. So he even earned money having his funeral And who only knows what else he either owned out right or had a large portion of. Three lifetimes is a long time.

first off elvis is talentless mike is the real king of music mike actually had songs that touched the world not some songs that he stole from black people and sung to a bunch of hillbilly rednecks to say that his music would fade away is disrespecting every lover of music realize who the real king is

i just dont understand why everyone doesnt see it back when i saw an interview of him he was asked to show his dance,his moves he acted shy and said he couldnt do it but did a little thats because he had to have his drugs to help him anyone could do their thing then he was very good BUT he had to have his drugs to do it he chose to do it to himself dont get me wrong i loved to watch him dance he was the best but he eventually needed help to do it HIS DRUGS come on he was 50 years old wait till your 50 see if every day is up for you

WHOAH WOAH WOAH.. SO YOUR TELLING US THAT IT WAS ALL DRUGS THAT MADE MJ THE GREATEST ENTERTAINER EVER!! WITH YOU SOUND DUMB. SO YOUR SAYING THIS BOY WAS TAKING DRUGS AT THE AGE OF 5. PLEASE HUN, DO SOME RESEARCH BEFORE YOU COME OUT WITH SOME BUTT HOLE COMMENT. YOU JUST MADE YOURSELF SOUND VERY IGNORANT. MICHAEL JACKSON HAD TRUE TALENT THAT EVERYONE STRIVES FOR. THAT TALENT CAME FROM THE HEART, AND NO ONE. NOT EVEN ELVIS FREAKING PRESLEY WILL EVERRRR COME EVEN A CENTIMETER CLOSE TO THE TALENT THAT MICHAEL JACKSON HAD.

I saw "This Is It" last night. Michael looked very healthy. No where near emaciated. My 30 year old son is as thin as Michael was. I have a hard time finding 29/36 jeans for him. MJ had his sunglasses off a lot during his rehearsals. He did not look as if he was under the use of a lot of narcotics or anything else. Believe me, I have seen plenty of people that have abused drugs in my lifetime. It's well known that he took Demoral for chronic pain. I am 50 and am on narcotics from a jaw infection. I strictly adhere to the proper dosage. I cannot take Demerol. I was given Demerol for a migraine right before I went into surgery a few years ago. I woke up in recovery with the tube still down my throat. When they finally pulled it out, I asked them what happened. I was told that I did not have the ability to breath on my own due to the anesthesia and the demerol together. You can bet that will never happen to me again. I really wished his family would have taken the bull by the horns and forced Michael to get proper help. Yes, I have done that for people I have known through the years. If you don't stop pounding away at the problem, you have a major chance of saving lives.

Ahem! There is a REASON why Micheal Jackson topped the list. Whether it'd been purposely done or not, it's beffiting. Micheal Jackson IS the King!!!! Pure and simple.

Trying to put a timeline on his status is futile and pointless. He has reached a milestone in his career, that NOONE, whethere before, OR after him, have been able to. Do YOU......or ANYONE else, see any artist out today, changing that??? I thought not. I sure don't!